Eyes Forward

 Greetings to you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

     Proverbs 4:227 says, “ Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.  Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.  Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.  Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.”

     I am 83 years old and one would think that I would be free from certain things in this life.  Well, Iet my guard down and got trampled on so to speak.  I got overly concerned about some people in the facility that are on the working staff which resulted in, shall we say, very negative reactions.  I didn’t know how to take patronization, that is, being called “sweetie,” “darlin” and “we love you.”  I saw it happen while working at Our Lady of the Valley and was frowned upon by management.  The effect is what I am dealing with now and the challenge from the above passage is what I should have been incorporating in my own life but failed to do.   The temptation is to say, “I won’t do it again, that is, care about someone's difficulties in life.”  I know that is not going to happen, as it is not in my nature to do so.  I don’t want to be that cold to the works that God has ordained me to do according to Ephesians 2:10.  One of my nurses from the home health group said, “Bring it all to the cross and leave it there.”  That was pretty sound counsel but has been difficult for me to” leave it there.” 

It seems to me that the opening 8 proverbs or so, have a lot to say about the pursuit of wisdom and the above passage mentions several of our parts of our body that should be vital in our pursuit of wisdom such as the eye gate.  Knowing that Satan used the “lust of the eyes” in the Garden of Eden and then with Christ Himself, it is sound advice to keep your eyes upon that which is profitable to the ministry whale you are here on this earth.  We are always liable to give in to the temptation to turn either left or right when our eyes begin to wander off to another direction rather than straight ahead.  The solution to the dilemma is always the same.  It revolves around Scripture and Prayer.  My beloved Pastor Randy pounded that into me for fifteen years and I will always thank  Him for this basic truth.  It is Scripture and Prayer that will conform us to the image of Christ.  I thank you for allowing me to relay the confessions of an old man, an old pastor, an old husband, an old father.  Keep your eyes on the Lord in all things and let Him be your Guide.  Praise God today for His leading in our lives.